RINSE & DRAIN BEANS, ETC., TO ELIMINATE SUGARS

[Rhea]

It's also worth noting that if you cook your own beans, they freeze very well indeed. I find it's worth soaking and cooking a whole packet -- one pound -- and if you divide the cooked beans into four portions, each portion will be about the same size as 15oz can of beans. I usually pop them into polythene bags or containers (without any liquid) and put them straight into the freezer -- so handy to have them, and if you're in a rush, you can thaw them very quickly by pouring boiling water over them!

Rhea

[niki]

that's a very good idea,rhea...i never thought about freezing just the beans...and if you freeze just the beans,you don't have to open a can of beans if you want to add a handful of beans to a salad..i'm going to do it the way i freeze most things(like frozen grapes)in a freezer bag and lay it flat so that they're less likely to stick together....i just started making bean soups and freezing a couple of containers getting ready for the summer when it'll be too hot to cook beans for hours..i made mary's israeli chickpea soup(i used 2 pounds of dried chick peas)and freezed a couple of containers....i really only like the canned beans for an emergency meal...and the other advantage to using dried beans is that you can mix different beans and improve the quality of the protein....thank you...and have yourself a blessed day.....................niki     

[Aunt Lovina]

Again, I am new to all this and have lots of questions.  I am surprised that you use canned beans.  Don't most canned beans have EDTA artificial preservative added?  I have read that EDTA is linked with kidney disorders.  Are legumes as useful as beans?  They are pretty easy to cook from the dried state.  Thanks for your patience with all my questions.

[niki]

that is a WONDERFUL question,lovina......because of my love for beans,i have been nicknamed "the bean queen"......you'll see a lot of different posts praising the humble bean and all that it can do for you....i'm greek and i grew up on bean soups.....for me,to eat homemade bean soups with the vegetables sauteed in olive oil until i'm full was a BIG factor in my NOT feeling like i was on a diet.....
  i have often said that exact thing..that dried beans are really so easy to work with...that it's much healthier..but people cling to the ease with which they can open a can(but not everybody)......i myself keep a store of cans of beans in my basement...but that's only for a bean emergency......i must have at least 30 pounds of dried beans in my basement...listen,they're a great thing to store up in case of an emergency.....i don't know that there's any kind of expiration date on dried beans.....lentils are also legumes and are as good as beans....they're easier to digest also......on these boards,you'll see loads of bean soup recipes....my latest favorite(that i posted)is lentil soup with meatballs(LOVE IT)...there's the gas issue...should be none with lentils...with regular beans,you should discard the water you soak them in and after cooking them for about 10 minutes,you should discard the water a second time....a little baking soda in the water when you soak them also helps...........then you discard that when you discard the water.....those bubbles that you see are the gas..........
  it's a WONDERFUL way to eat.....i love it....i hope you will too...............niki(aka...the bean queen) 

[renobabe]

I buy my beans and tomatoes from my health store and they have
no added sugar or salt in them....saves the rinsing step unless
recipes calls for it.....there're a little bit more expensive but
I'm worth it .......

renobabe

[Mynx]

i have often said that exact thing..that dried beans are really so easy to work with...that it's much healthier..but people cling to the ease with which they can open a can(but not everybody)

I consider fresh vegetables and fruit to be healthier than canned, I don't know why I didn't think of beans the same way. Thanks for the info Niki I will be using more dried beans over canned now